The statements in this section merely provide background information on the present disclosure and do not necessarily constitute the prior art.
FIG. 1 is a view showing a conventional electric vehicle charging system.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional electric vehicle charging system includes a charging cable 110, an electric vehicle charging cable control apparatus 116, a power source 120, and an electric vehicle 130.
For recent electric vehicles (or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles) 130, the battery of the vehicle can be charged even at home using the charging cable 110.
The electric vehicle charging cable control apparatus 116 is positioned in the charging cable. When the battery of the electric car 130 is charged, the electric vehicle charging cable control apparatus 116 serves to supply or cut off electric power to or from the electric vehicle depending on circumstances.
In addition, the electric vehicle charging cable controller 116 serves to provide the vehicle with information such as whether charging is currently in progress, whether electric power transmission is interrupted in the event of a fault during charging, the current charging level, and a future chargeable capacity. The electric vehicle charging cable control apparatus 116 may also be referred to as an in-cable control box (ICCB).
While the charging cable 110 is illustrated in FIG. 1 as including the electric vehicle charging cable control apparatus 116, the electric vehicle charging system is not limited thereto. The electric vehicle charging system may be configured with a charging cable that does not have the electric vehicle charging cable control apparatus 116.
In the case of the conventional charging cable, one end of the charging cable is implemented as a plug and connected to a power source, and the other end of the charging cable is implemented as a connector and connected to an inlet of the electric vehicle. When the connector of the charging cable is connected to the inlet of the electric vehicle, an actuator inside the inlet of the electric vehicle operates to prevent release of the connector of the charging cable. Further, when the one end of the charging cable is removed from the power source, the actuator inside the inlet of the electric vehicle operates to permit release of the connector of the charging cable.
When the electric vehicle is charged at a low speed by a household power source, a long charging time of about 8 to 10 hours is required. Thus, after connecting the electric vehicle and the charging cable, the owner will leave in most cases. Considering that release of the connector of the charging cable is permitted once the plug of the charging cable is removed from the power source and that the user is very likely to leave the place due to a long time required for charging, the conventional charging cable or electric vehicle charging cable control apparatus is very vulnerable to theft.